Why Mixed Signals Drive You Crazy — And How To Handle Them
The psychology behind the oldest technique in dating and your guide on how to deal with it
While hot and cold behavior is amongst the oldest of dating tactics, it remains one of the most effective. When someone gives us mixed signals, it can drive us to levels of obsessive-compulsive analysis that leave all our friends cringing and worried about our sanity.
We’ve all experienced this phenomenon at play when chasing someone we like. At first, everything is blissful, you have their attention and the signs of attraction are clear — you’re elated and bathing in euphoria. But the next day, things take a turn for the worse. Perhaps they walk past without acknowledging you, or maybe you find yourself anxiously waiting for a text that never comes.
All of a sudden, the voices start in your head. Why have they gone cold? Was it something I said? Before you know it, a psychological tension builds and begins to envelop your mind. You feel increasingly distressed and confused by their behavior, spending hours analyzing it in your head. You re-read conversations in search of a clue and think back to your last encounter to find what you missed. Ultimately, you know it’s silly, but for some reason, you can’t stop thinking about them until you get the…
